Wednesday August 24,2011 : STINGER885 WINS WORLD POKER TOUR TOURNEY IN FLORIDA
Hastings takes home $213,877
Twenty-three-year-old poker coach and high stakes internet player Brian Hastings has added to his professional career earnings of around $4 million by winning the WPT Regional Summer Splash in Hollywood, Florida this week.
The title is his first in a major live tournament despite his formidable reputation on the internet.
Hastings is respected for his coaching skills at CardRunners, where he inculcated in his students the advantages of preparing well and playing in a disciplined fashion, and for his high stakes games on the internet, where he has reportedly earned over $4 million playing under screen names like LucLongley and Stinger885.
In his title victory at the Hard Rock Casino in Seminole, Hastings bested 381 entrants for the $2,200 buy-in competition, including a tough final table that comprised Griffin Malatino, Michael Degilio, Darryl Fish, Jake Schwartz, Anthony Ruberto, Cong Pham, Martha Dajer-Rodriguez and Bryan Camponello.
The game ended in a short, sharp heads up between Hastings and Florida player Griffin Malatino, who proved no match for the internet champion and had to be satisfied with a runner-up prize of $117,300.
Hastings collected the winner's prize of $213,877 and his first major live tournament title.